Around the country, the beginning of the school year is starting out differently. Distance learning is the new norm for many states and counties and that means kids and parents are juggling a lot. But there is good news! There are options. The first one: parents can utilize the services of a nanny or a learning pod to help provide the support and quality education that kids deserve this year. Here’s how. 
Learning pods:
These small education groups are popping up everywhere. They consist of 3 to 10 children that gather in one location or multiple homes. These groups are often led by a parent of one of the kids or by a hired private educator. Or this can be managed by a nanny that is paid to monitor online learning from the children’s regular school district. The cost of this is split by the families that are participating. This can be a great answer for working parents that want to keep their kids learning in a structured and socially safe environment.
If a learning pod is not right for your family and you want to continue to keep your kids enrolled in distance learning for the time being, it’s important to keep some routines and boundaries in place. Work with your nanny to reinforce the household rules that you have set in place, especially when it comes to distance learning strategies. Here are some tips.
#1: Keep routines.
Kids and young adults thrive on routines. So, even though they may not be getting up and heading out to the door to school each morning, keep your routines similar. Have them wake up at the same time every day, encourage them to get dressed and eat breakfast, and then log into their Zoom calls or online instructional videos. Sitting around in pajamas all day will make it harder to feel motivated.
#2: Keep communication open.
Talk to your kids about how they are doing with distance learning. Encourage them to express their frustrations, disappointments, and excitements with the process. Talking to them throughout the highs and lows will help maintain a bit more of a sense of peace as they face a new learning environment that is unlike what they have ever done before.
We understand that this year is stressful for many parents that are learning to manage work, parenthood, and schooling. That’s why our experienced team at HomeWork Solutions can help with all of your nanny’s payroll and taxes. We will get everything set up and paid on time with accuracy, so contact us today!